VWC's intensive three-week academic term offers unique opportunities for students
By Leona Baker | January 13, 2012
What do salsa dancing and serial killers have in common? Both are subjects VWC students can explore during winter session, an optional, intensive three-week academic period offered each January.
In addition to allowing them to get ahead or complete a requirement, winter session courses give students opportunities to learn about atypical subject matter, delve deeper into a particular area of study or even travel abroad for an immersive adventure. Special events outside the classroom also offer unique learning experiences throughout the three-week term.
Among perennial winter session favorites is Dr. Mavel Velasco’s “Latin American Music and Dance” course, nightly meetings of which are divided into two parts—one in the classroom, the other in the dance studio. Velasco has been teaching the course along with her husband and dance partner, Wellinthon Muñoz, for more than a decade.
On a recent evening, Velasco and Muñoz effortlessly demonstrated the 1-2-3 sway of the bachata, a style of dance that originated in the Dominican Republic, as students did their best to follow along.
“It’s not supposed to be a dance you are doing when you are in your suit and she is in her gown,” Munoz explained. “It’s the other kind.”
Before practicing their hip action in the bachata, salsa or merengue on the dance floor, students learn about the history of Latin American dance and its importance in Hispanic culture.
Dr. Alison Marganski’s criminal justice course, "Examining Extreme Killers: Spree Killers, Serial Killers and Mass Murderers,” takes on an entirely different and considerably darker subject.
At the beginning of a recent class, Marganski passed around a printout with a series of black and white images of people of different genders and ethnic backgrounds and representing different historical time periods. The challenge? To figure out which ones are serial killers and which are not.
A few notorious faces jumped out, Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy among them, as did those of some decoys. But once the real killers were revealed, the message was clear: You can’t judge a serial killer by his or her cover.
Examining our societal presumptions about these most reviled of criminals is just one aspect of the class, which explores in depth the biological, psychological, and social theories of murder as well as what constitutes justice for such heinous crimes.
Faculty-led travel courses being offered during the current winter session range from a trip to the rainforests of Belize to study tropical ecology to a journey to Greece to explore Classical history, art, architecture and culture.
In its sixth season, the On-Campus Winter Homeless Shelter is another feature of winter session at VWC. This year, the shelter is being held nightly, January 8-15. Many students, faculty and staff volunteer for the shelter, but students enrolled in a course called “Service Learning and Issues of Civic Engagement in Hampton Roads” have a chance to investigate the issue of homelessness on an academic level before volunteering and to reflect on its implications afterwards.
Finally, there are many events happening during winter session, most of which are open to the public. See the list of Appalachian music event—a tie in with a winter session class called "Music and Folk Culture of the Southern Appalachians" below.
Appalachian Music at VWC
Fri., Jan. 13: Dr. James Ruchala presents "Old Time Appalachian Music of Round Peak, North Carolina."
Mon., Jan. 16: Virginia Champion Old Time Fiddler Mark Campbell (sponsored by the Virginia Arts Council)
Wed., Jan. 18: “Mountain Music Project,” a documentary film about bluegrass musicians making connections with musicians in Nepal and performance by filmmaker Tara Lindhardt.
Fri., Jan. 20: Dr. Sarah Quick presents Métis fiddle and dance and Appalachian connections, a performance and discussion.
All Appalachian music events take place in Blocker auditorium at 7 p.m. and are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Dan Margolies at dmargolies@vwu.edu